Analysis of the center of pressure variables in women with migraine does not reflect differences in balance: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Migraine is a neurological disease that affects proportionally more women. It has been documented that migraineurs often experience balance disturbances.

Objective: To evaluate the balance between migraineur patients (MG) and healthy volunteers classified as control group (CG).

Method: A cross-sectional study. Seventy-four women were evaluated: 37 MG and 37 CG. The evaluation of the center of pressure (COP) variables was carried out using a balance platform in three postures, bipodal eyes closed (BEC), right monopodal with eyes open (RMEO), and left monopodal with eyes open (LMEO). Self-report questionnaires (dizziness handicap inventory (DHI), fall risk efficacy scale (FES I), the functional impact scale (HIT 6) and the timed up and go test (TUG test) were used. The U-Mann Whitney test was used to verify differences in the COP between MG and CG. The Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA was used to analyze the differences between migraine groups (MGs) with postures, self-report questionnaires, and TUG test. A p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: No statistically significant changes were found in the balance variables, except the medial-lateral excursion variable in the BEC (p < 0.02) and LMEO (p = 0.04) postures. No significant differences were found between the MGs with HIT 6 (p = 0.48) or FES I (p = 0.49). Significant differences were found between the MGs with DHI (p = 0.003). The TUG test showed statistically significant changes between groups (p < 0.01).

Conclusion: The women with migraine in this sample did not show differences in postural balance, however, dizziness and functional differences are shown compared to healthy women.